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Love Island UK is set to return to screens after being absent since 2020, when it last aired. The show’s upcoming season will feature 10 contestants as they get ready to find love on national television.
One of the contestants set to appear is Ron Hall, a financial advisor from Essex who is partially visually impaired. He is the first visually impaired contestant on the franchise.
Love Island Season 9 will air on January 16, at 9 pm ET on ITV2.
Meet Ron Hall ahead of Love Island Season 9’s premiere
Love Island Season 9 is set to take the contestants to South Africa to a luxurious villa as they attempt to find love and win the grand prize in the process. Ron Hall is amongst those who will appear in the show, and is the first visually impaired contestant to participate.
The show faced backlash earlier due to the lack of disability representation and diversity, and Ron’s presence is expected to garner a positive reception from the critics.
When the Love Island contestant was just eight years old, he had an accident while playing football and injured his eye. During a match, he went in for a header and got kicked in the face.
The injury resulted in his losing sight in one eye, making him partially visually impaired. As for his injury, when someone meets him, they can never tell that he’s blind in one eye. He added that it has added to his character and is a good conversation starter.
He said:
"There are so many people that are worse off than me. And if anything, losing something like that makes you realise that. It’s not hindered me in any shape or form."
While he wants to find love and win the game, he wants to be himself upon entering the show, have a good time, and make memories. He further added that he will bring fun and charisma to the table and is sure that people will enjoy his company.
Joining Ron Hall on Love Island Season 9 are other singletons, including:
- Haris Namani: a 27-year-old television salesman from Doncaster
- Olivia Hawkins: a 27-year-old ring girl from Brighton
- Shaq Muhammad: 24-year-old airport security officer from London
- Tanyel Revan: a 26-year-old hairstylist from London
- Will Young: a 23-year-old farmer from Buckinghamshire
- Anna-May Robey: a 20-year-old payroll administrator from Swansea
- Lana Jenkins: a 25-year-old make-up artist from Luton
- Kai Fagan: a 24-year-old science and PE teacher from Manchester
- Tanya Manhenga: a 23-year-old biomedical science student and influencer from Liverpool
Rules the contestants have to follow
As part of Love Island, the contestants have to follow strict rules while they’re on the show, including a ban on social media, a limitation on alcohol, and more.
One of the most important rules is no violence, bullying or inappropriate language. This rule has been broken many a times before, and has even resulted in the removal of contestants.
They will not be allowed to use their phones while filming the reality series or have their loved ones operating their social media accounts.
As per the new set of rules, they will have to participate in a variety of workshops to help their experience on the show. These include psychological support, training on how to handle negative social media reactions, financial management, and conversations about the impact of their participation.
Other rules include:
- No drugs
- Limitation on alcohol
- No branded clothing
- No self gratification while in the shower
- No Nudity
- No clocks
Love Island Season 9 will air on ITV2 on January 16, 2023, and fans can also stream the episodes on ITVX.
